In 2016, the Comatose Brothers covered “Valerie,” a song that was famously covered by Brits Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse, and originated by the Liverpudlian indie rock group the Zutons. Where the Comatose Brothers diverged from the established path is that they veered away from indie rock and R&B, lending their distinctly beautiful bluegrass take to a song that had more or less taken on a life of its own in the ‘00s. In a nutshell, this sort of sums up the experience of hearing the Brothers Comatose – they provide a distinctly modern feel to bluegrass, but not in the way that so many bands tried to do around a decade ago.
The Comatose Brothers are revivalists in the same way as the Old Crow Medicine Show, honoring Americana’s past while also blazing a trail into the future. That bit of modern feel is hard to put one’s finger on, but what’s easy to catch is the sheer amount of energy they put into their performances. This is a five-piece that couldn’t be more in the pocket, more motivated to thrill, or more determined to make sure that they have fun delivering this pristine string music to you. Laying down those impeccable harmonies almost feels unfair to other bands.
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